KickStart Supporting Documents

You should allow 3-4 weeks to gather your supporting documents. Start gathering your supporting documents even before you know if you have been selected for interview, to ensure you have everything ready to upload if you’re called for interview.

Check all sections (1. INCOME, 2. CRIMINAL JUSTICE HISTORY, 3. PRIORITY GROUP and 4. REFERENCE) and provide documents as required for each section.

If you fall into income category 1b below (i.e. you are not on a SUSI maintenance grant), you must provide proof of household income. This may mean that you should provide your own income documents or that you should provide income documents belonging to another person who is the income earner for your household, such as a parent/ guardian/ partner/ spouse.
If you are dependent on your parent/guardian you must provide:

Income documents for your parent/guardian for 2023. The exact income document required depends on which type of income your parent/guardian gets. Check 1b below.
You must also provide a Data Consent signed by your parent/guardian because they are the owner/s of the income document.

If you are living independently from your parent/guardian (you receive no financial assistance from your parent/guardian and do not live at the same address) you must provide:

Income documents for yourself for 2023. The exact income document required depends on which type of income you get. Check 1b below.
If you live with a partner/spouse who contributes to your household income you must also provide income documents for your partner/spouse for 2023 AND you must provide a Data Consent form signed by your partner/spouse.
Proof of home ownership OR proof of renting since at least the October 2023
A recent utility bill at your own address (not a mobile phone bill).

You can review these sample income documents to check that you are providing the correct
documentation. Sample Social Welfare Balancing Statement, Sample Statement of Liability (previously
known as a P21), Sample Notice of Self-Assessment. Please note: you must provide all pages of the
relevant income document; the sample documents show the first pages only.

Provide documents for 1a or 1b

1a. You are a recipient of a SUSI maintenance grant for 2024-25

Your Household Income

Supporting Document Required

Further information

If you are a confirmed recipient of a SUSI maintenance grant, SUSI has verified that your household income in 2023 was under €50,840.

Your SUSI award letter for 2024/25 (all 3 pages)

A maintenance grant means that SUSI has awarded you a monthly amount in addition to payment of the Applicant contribution charge

1b. You are not in receipt of a SUSI maintenance grant but your household income for 2023 was under €50,840, you must provide one of the following income documents

Your Household Income Category

Supporting Documents Required

Further information

Department of Social Protection (DSP) Payments

Social Welfare Statement i.e. a full DSP statement of payments

For the full year 1 January to 31 December 2023

Request a DSP/Social Welfare Statement for 2023 through

MyWelfare, or from your local community welfare office/ Intreo office

Self Employed Income

A Notice of Assessment / Self-Assessment

Letter - Chapter 4 or 5 for the year 2023

Request a Notice of Assessment / Self-Assessment Letter - Chapter 4 or 5 for 2023 from the relevant person(s) revenue account on the Revenue website at www.revenue.ie

Income from Paid Employment (PAYE)

A Statement of Liability 2023

A Statement of Liability is a 2-sided document, please include a copy of both the front and back page.

Note: An end of year employment summary pdf. is not a Statement of Liability

A Statement of Liability (formerly called End of Year Statement - P21) for 2023 can be requested from the relevant person(s) revenue account on the Revenue website www.revenue.ie.

Income from Vocational Training Opportunities Scheme (VTOS)

A letter from the Educational Training Board (ETB) or Post-Leaving Certificate (PLC) College that you attended confirming the total amount earned in 2023.

Letter must be on headed paper, signed and dated by an official within the ETB or PLC you previously attended.

If you are a not on a SUSI maintenance grant and you are living Independently, you must provide documents to prove you are living independently in addition to one of the proof of income documents above

Documents which show proof of Living Independently: Lease/rent book/signed letter from landlord + a current utility bill at that address which isn’t a mobile phone bill. The lease/rent book/letter should state the date renting commenced, your name, the landlord’s name and the rental address.

Living independently means that you receive no financial support from parent/guardian AND you have been living at an address other than the parental home address from at least October 2023.

Provide one of the following documents in this category.

Request for previous charges from a Garda station or a Garda F20 form

Everyone has the right to request a copy of their previous charges from a Garda station. This is a simple sheet with a list of current and past charges. The Garda F20 form is filled out online and is considered a Subject Access Request so the individual gets all information held on them on the Garda system. This can take a few weeks to arrive.

Request a Garda F20 Form

Release letter from prison

A letter that shows the dates that you were in custody and not the conviction. If you no longer have this letter, you can request it from the Irish Prison Service.

The request for a Certificate of Imprisonment should state that they are sought for the KickStart scholarship scheme and provide your full name, date of birth, address and PIMS number if known.

Email: operationqueries@irishprisons.ie. This email address should only be used for the scholarship candidates. Any other queries should be directed to info@irishprisons.ie.

Requests that come via email to Operations Directorate will only issue by post to the address recorded on PIMS, having clarified that this is still the address of the requester. If the address has changed, the requester will need to verify this by submitting some acceptable recognised identification.

Letter from your current/past Probation Officer

A letter from the Probation Service will only state that you were engaged with the Probation Service for a particular period of time and if there is an existing criminal record as a result.

Email: informationunit@probation.ie

with the subject line:

KickStart Scholarship Fund information request.

This will not show details of conviction type.

Self-Declaration of Criminal Justice History

In the event you were convicted outside Ireland and/or are you are unable to access any of the above verifications you can submit this self-declaration which will show the dates that you were in custody and in what country.

A Self-Declaration document will be provided to candidates upon assessment.

This will NOT show convictions

NB: Irish citizens who have been extradited to a prison in the Republic must have spent at least 2 years in the country in order to meet the criteria.

Provide supporting documents for each priority group to which you belong

Priority Group

Supporting Documents Required

Further information

Disability

If you entered through the DARE scheme or are currently registered with the Disability Support Office of your higher education institution you don’t have to provide any further documents about your disability. On the KickStart application form you give your consent to your college to verify this information directly.
If you did not enter college through the DARE scheme AND are not registered with the Disability Support Office of your higher education institution, you must provide appropriate documentary evidence from a relevant medical professional as per the DARE guidelines on documentary evidence

More information on documentary evidence from a relevant medical professional confirming your disability/condition/diagnosis, as per your HEI’s process for registering with the Disability Support Service.

Lone Parent with a DSP Payment

Evidence of being in receipt of DSP One-Parent Family Payment in 2023

Or

Evidence of being in receipt of a DSP Job Seekers Transitional Payment in 2023

Or

Letter from DSP stating that the applicant is currently or was formerly on a One-Parent Family payment and met the criteria of a lone parent.

Or

In receipt of Deserted Wives Payment including payment for dependent children

Or

In receipt of Widows Pension including payment for dependent children.

You can request a DSP statement on your mywelfare.ie or from your local community welfare office/ Intreo office.

If you are on a follow-on DSP payment (see below) please request a full statement when you were on a OFP payment Letter confirming you are a lone parent must be from the Department of Social Protection, be on headed paper, stamped and signed by a DSP official

Note: These are some examples of follow-on One Parent Family payments:

• Jobseekers Transitional Payment

• Blind Pension

• Carer’s Allowance

• Working Family Payment

• Back to Work Family Dividend

• Deserted Wives Allowance/Benefit

• Widows/Widowers Pension

• Back to Education Allowance

Lone parent who is working

A Revenue statement showing that you are in receipt of the Single Person Child Carer Credit (formerly called Lone Parents Tax Credit)
Copy of Separation/Divorce Agreement or Maintenance Agreement

Evidence of the Single Person Child Carer credit will be on your Statement of Liability or your Tax Credit Certificate for 2023. You can request these documents from your revenue account on the Revenue website www.revenue.ie.
Separation/Divorce/Maintenance - first page showing your name & the page relating to custody.

You are or were in the Care of the State (TUSLA)

Letter from TUSLA or official associated agency confirming the dates the applicant was in the care of the State.

All letters must be on headed paper, signed and must confirm that you are or were in the care of the State/ TUSLA / an official associated care agency.

To request documentation, contact your HSE social worker, your local TUSLA area officer and/or TUSLA after-care worker. For more info on your local area office please check: www.tusla.ie/get-in-touch/local-area-offices

You are living in or are transitioning out of Direct Provision accommodation

Letter from Department of Justice and Equality

Or

A registered Direct Provision Centre confirming that the applicant previously lived or is transitioning out of Direct Provision.

Or

Full DSP statement for 2023 showing applicant was in receipt of the Daily Expenses Allowance.

Letters from Direct Provision Centre must be on headed paper and be signed by a Direct Provision Official.

You can request a 2023 DSP statement person(s) MyWelfare account or request from local community welfare office/ Intreo office in regards to Daily Expenses Allowance.

You are currently/ were previously living in Supported Accommodation

Letter from the Health Service Executive (HSE), TUSLA or registered Charity/Agency confirming the applicant is or was previously living in supported accommodation within the previous 3 years.

All letters must be on official headed paper, provide dates and be signed by an organisation official.

You are currently/were previously Homeless

Letter from the Health Service Executive (HSE), TUSLA or registered Charity/Agency such as Simon Community/Threshold confirming that you are now or were previously homeless within the previous 3 years.

All letters must be on official headed paper, provide dates and be signed by an organisation official.

You must provide a reference from a person who has had a supporting or supervisory role in your life. This can be any person who has supported you or supervised you during your personal and/or professional development journey. Examples of referees include:

A current or past Probation Officer,
A Training or Employment Officer,
Your case worker or project manager if you worked on a probation funded community-based organisation project,
Your IASIO Training & Employment officer,
Your liaison/external support officer
A current or past employer,
A manager from a volunteer organisation to which you contributed time
A current or past teacher/lecturer/ training supervisor/ETB staff/ university staff member other than Access Office staff

You can contact a member of staff in your HEI for advice on the reference letter.

A Reference Template document will be provided to candidates upon assessment. This document will guide your referee on what information should appear on the reference letter.

Note: If your referee is the same person who is confirming your criminal justice history (see Section 3), you can ask them to provide both pieces of information on the one document.

Open the Notes app on your iPhone.
Click the paper and pen icon in the bottom right-hand corner to create a new note.
Above the keyboard, click the camera icon, then click “scan documents"
Make sure the yellow rectangle lines up with the lines of your document. Take a photo.
The document will save in the bottom left-hand corner. You can click on this to adjust your document. Once you are happy, click save.
Once saved, click on the document itself.
Click the share button in the top right-hand corner.
Tap the Mail app and start a New Message. Type in your own email address and send the document to yourself.
You can then open your email on your laptop/pc and download the document to a specific folder. You will then be able to upload your document by navigating to that folder

KickStart Supporting Documents

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